Thanks to all who reviewed. Special thanks to GeeseFlySouthForTheWinter for
giving me an idea.
Chapter Two
Squid stared at the black ceiling, thinking about what had happened earlier. He wondered why he couldn't dig his hole anymore. X-Ray decided to lay off because he needed to finish his hole as well. The other guys were going to get into the whole thing, but they really didn't have a big thing to do about it. The biggest thing that any of the guys had done about the "fight" was that Caveman told Squid to measure the hole. So at dinner X-Ray got him an extra carton of juice in apology. At first Squid didn't know why X-Ray had given it to him, but then X-Ray said that he was sorry and Squid understood. "You awake?" someone asked. "Yeah," replied Squid. "This is the r-I mean Zero by the way." "What do you want?" "Umm.I just wanted to say--" "Whatever. Just let me go to sleep, 'kay?" Zero sighed. "All right." "You go to sleep too. I actually don't want you to wake up late like me." "Sure. G'night." "Night."
I suddenly appeared in a room with a lit fireplace. I looked around the room. It looked pretty familiar, but I was really concentrating on the black bird on the door. It was the raven. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I am the bird who never speaks. Beware of the eye that always peeks," the bird said. "But you're talking right now!" I exclaimed. "I don't speak, I mimick. I am your first statistic." This was getting way too weird. But just as I walked toward the door, I tripped and fell. Now what was I in for?
"Wake up Squid." "Man, you're late. Just leave him alone. He'll wake up." There was no reply. "Whatever." "Hey. C'mon. You'll be late. You know I'm saving you some trouble, right?" Squid opened his eyes and saw Zero's face. "C'mon. Get up. The other guys already left." Zero smiled a little. That was surprising to Squid. He smiled a little too. "Why are you always up at night?" Squid asked him. Zero's smile faded and he said that he didn't want to talk about it. He left the tent. When Squid got out of bed, he heard tapping from behind him. He turned around, but only saw the empty tent. This was getting a little weird.
At night, when all seven were laying on their cots, Armpit said that he had a suggestion for Mom's suggestion box. Squid had once sent one saying that they should get pencils that didn't break, then he broke the pencil. Supposedly, the Warden or Mom had seen him because he had to wash dishes for a week. Caveman once wrote something about getting rid of the suggestion box. He didn't give his name or tent though. Magnet once wrote something about letting them listen to music while they dug. He said it would've helped them dig faster. He even gave his name and tent. So now, Armpit said he had a suggestion and all of the boys were sitting up or at the end of their cot. "This I gotta hear," Squid said. "Well," he started, "Why don't we break up the shower time?" "What do you mean?" asked X-Ray. "Well, when the water runs for four minutes straight, we don't have time to apply the soap. So I was thinking of letting the water run for 45 seconds then shut off. We would get as much time as we would need to put on soap. After that, the shower would run for 3 minutes and 15 seconds." There was a pause. "So what do you think?" "You amaze me Armpit," X-Ray said. "Brains and good looks." Armpit didn't know if he was joking or not. "That's really smart!" Zigzag said. "What do you think Caveman?" Armpit asked. "I think it's a really good idea, Armpit," he said. When Armpit figured out that they weren't joking, he smiled. Then they all helped him with the letter. They came up with something like:
It's a waste of water to apply soap while water's running. So, why don't we break up the shower time? First the water would run for 1 minute, then shut off. It would turn on again in exactly 1 minute, enough time to apply the soap. Then the water would run again for 3 minutes. This way uses no more water, and helps us stay cleaner and smell better.
They all watched Armpit proudly sign his name and tent.
The next day D-tent saw Mr. Sir working on the showers. "Whatcha' doin' Mr. Sir?" X-Ray asked. "Adjusting the mechanism," he replied, "So the showers can stop and start." Magnet gave Armpit a pat on the back.
After digging, Mom announced the change in the showers. "There has been a change in the showers. Don't worry, the showers will still last four minutes. But the shower will run for 1 minute and stop for exactly 1 minute, enough time to apply soap. The water will then run for the remaining 2 minutes. Remember, a clean body is a healthy body." "Did he just say 2 minutes?" asked Armpit. "Good going Armpit," Zigzag said sarcastically. "Yeah, and next time when you have a suggestion, stuff it up your ass," Squid said.
After his shower, Squid mentally cursed to Armpit. As he walked in to the tent, he saw that every one of them were still mad at Armpit. Or at least Zero, Zigzag, X-Ray and himself, the only ones in the tent besides Armpit. When Caveman came in, he said, "It's all right, Armpit. You did the best you could." The others knew that Caveman didn't know that he sounded like a teacher. Zigzag sniggered. "What?" Caveman asked. Zigzag sniggered a little again. "Nothin'." Caveman sat on his cot. All eyes were on him. "What?" he repeated. "Oh, nothing. Nothing," Squid said. "Whatever," he said.
That night Squid had another dream.
"What am I doing back here!" I exclaimed. It was the same fire-lit room. "My master is behind you. He is your second clue," it said. I turned around, and sure enough saw nothing. "What's my 'second clue'?" I asked. "Never fear. Master's here." I turned around, and still saw nothing. "Where?" "Never fear." I heard a familiar tapping. I turned to the door. It was closed. I was getting a little creeped out. But I knew one thing: "Never fear."
Chapter Two
Squid stared at the black ceiling, thinking about what had happened earlier. He wondered why he couldn't dig his hole anymore. X-Ray decided to lay off because he needed to finish his hole as well. The other guys were going to get into the whole thing, but they really didn't have a big thing to do about it. The biggest thing that any of the guys had done about the "fight" was that Caveman told Squid to measure the hole. So at dinner X-Ray got him an extra carton of juice in apology. At first Squid didn't know why X-Ray had given it to him, but then X-Ray said that he was sorry and Squid understood. "You awake?" someone asked. "Yeah," replied Squid. "This is the r-I mean Zero by the way." "What do you want?" "Umm.I just wanted to say--" "Whatever. Just let me go to sleep, 'kay?" Zero sighed. "All right." "You go to sleep too. I actually don't want you to wake up late like me." "Sure. G'night." "Night."
I suddenly appeared in a room with a lit fireplace. I looked around the room. It looked pretty familiar, but I was really concentrating on the black bird on the door. It was the raven. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I am the bird who never speaks. Beware of the eye that always peeks," the bird said. "But you're talking right now!" I exclaimed. "I don't speak, I mimick. I am your first statistic." This was getting way too weird. But just as I walked toward the door, I tripped and fell. Now what was I in for?
"Wake up Squid." "Man, you're late. Just leave him alone. He'll wake up." There was no reply. "Whatever." "Hey. C'mon. You'll be late. You know I'm saving you some trouble, right?" Squid opened his eyes and saw Zero's face. "C'mon. Get up. The other guys already left." Zero smiled a little. That was surprising to Squid. He smiled a little too. "Why are you always up at night?" Squid asked him. Zero's smile faded and he said that he didn't want to talk about it. He left the tent. When Squid got out of bed, he heard tapping from behind him. He turned around, but only saw the empty tent. This was getting a little weird.
At night, when all seven were laying on their cots, Armpit said that he had a suggestion for Mom's suggestion box. Squid had once sent one saying that they should get pencils that didn't break, then he broke the pencil. Supposedly, the Warden or Mom had seen him because he had to wash dishes for a week. Caveman once wrote something about getting rid of the suggestion box. He didn't give his name or tent though. Magnet once wrote something about letting them listen to music while they dug. He said it would've helped them dig faster. He even gave his name and tent. So now, Armpit said he had a suggestion and all of the boys were sitting up or at the end of their cot. "This I gotta hear," Squid said. "Well," he started, "Why don't we break up the shower time?" "What do you mean?" asked X-Ray. "Well, when the water runs for four minutes straight, we don't have time to apply the soap. So I was thinking of letting the water run for 45 seconds then shut off. We would get as much time as we would need to put on soap. After that, the shower would run for 3 minutes and 15 seconds." There was a pause. "So what do you think?" "You amaze me Armpit," X-Ray said. "Brains and good looks." Armpit didn't know if he was joking or not. "That's really smart!" Zigzag said. "What do you think Caveman?" Armpit asked. "I think it's a really good idea, Armpit," he said. When Armpit figured out that they weren't joking, he smiled. Then they all helped him with the letter. They came up with something like:
It's a waste of water to apply soap while water's running. So, why don't we break up the shower time? First the water would run for 1 minute, then shut off. It would turn on again in exactly 1 minute, enough time to apply the soap. Then the water would run again for 3 minutes. This way uses no more water, and helps us stay cleaner and smell better.
They all watched Armpit proudly sign his name and tent.
The next day D-tent saw Mr. Sir working on the showers. "Whatcha' doin' Mr. Sir?" X-Ray asked. "Adjusting the mechanism," he replied, "So the showers can stop and start." Magnet gave Armpit a pat on the back.
After digging, Mom announced the change in the showers. "There has been a change in the showers. Don't worry, the showers will still last four minutes. But the shower will run for 1 minute and stop for exactly 1 minute, enough time to apply soap. The water will then run for the remaining 2 minutes. Remember, a clean body is a healthy body." "Did he just say 2 minutes?" asked Armpit. "Good going Armpit," Zigzag said sarcastically. "Yeah, and next time when you have a suggestion, stuff it up your ass," Squid said.
After his shower, Squid mentally cursed to Armpit. As he walked in to the tent, he saw that every one of them were still mad at Armpit. Or at least Zero, Zigzag, X-Ray and himself, the only ones in the tent besides Armpit. When Caveman came in, he said, "It's all right, Armpit. You did the best you could." The others knew that Caveman didn't know that he sounded like a teacher. Zigzag sniggered. "What?" Caveman asked. Zigzag sniggered a little again. "Nothin'." Caveman sat on his cot. All eyes were on him. "What?" he repeated. "Oh, nothing. Nothing," Squid said. "Whatever," he said.
That night Squid had another dream.
"What am I doing back here!" I exclaimed. It was the same fire-lit room. "My master is behind you. He is your second clue," it said. I turned around, and sure enough saw nothing. "What's my 'second clue'?" I asked. "Never fear. Master's here." I turned around, and still saw nothing. "Where?" "Never fear." I heard a familiar tapping. I turned to the door. It was closed. I was getting a little creeped out. But I knew one thing: "Never fear."
